Improvement in pessaries



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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

JONATHAN P. BARNETT, OF NAVASOTA, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PESSARIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,832, dated October31, 1876; application filed September 2, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONATHAN P. BARNETT, of Navasota, in the county ofGrimes and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved UterineSupporter, of which the following is a specification In the accompanyingdrawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section on line 0c, Fig. 2, of my improved uterine supporter; and Fig. 2 is a bottom Viewof the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention relates to an improvement upon the pessary described inPatent No. 163,871. The improvement relates to the arrangement of thewings for supporting the pessary proper below the latter, and the armsfor adjusting said wings between them and the pessary, whereby the saidwings are adapted to be folded inward below the pessary, and theadjusting-arms to be folded into slots formed in the tube, to which thewings are hinged, as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, A represents a hollow funnel-shaped supporter, withupper concave or dishing part, that may be screwed higher or lower onthe threaded upper end of a sliding tube, B, which is adjusted in thehollow stem O of the supporter by a hollow thumb-screw, D, entering theinterior screw-threaded end of tube B. The thumb-piece is rounded off toform an obstruction when the supporter is applied, the thumb-screwserving to lengthen or shorten the distance of the funnel from the stem.To an annular shoulder, a, at the upper end of stem 0 are hinged oval orothershaped wings E, which are further connected by rods 11 to the upperslotted end of tube B. The connecting-rods are pivoted to tube B, andhinged to the upper side of the wings, and produce the opening orclosing of the wings, together with the raising or lowering of thefunnel by the thumb-screw. The wings E are made hollow, to render theentire supporter as light as possible, the material used beingpreferably pure silver, as this is least liable to corrosion. The funnelA has a central top aperture in the dishing part, and one or more sideapertures, 01, for the escape of any moisture collecting thereon.

The supporter is applied for prolapsus uteri by being inserted into thevagina in closed and oiled state, with the wings thrown up below thefunnel. When the funnel comes in contact with the womb, the instrumentis gently pressed up by means of the stem, and by turning thethumb-screw the wings are opened or expanded wholly or partially, asrequired. They throw the lower end of the vagina against the perineum,supporting the womb on the perineum. By expanding the wings theinstrument is shortened, so that it will not carry the womb too high,nor interfere with sitting down.

When it is desired to withdraw the instrument for cleaning or adjustingof the funnel, 850., the thumb-screw is turned in opposite directionuntil the Wings close below the funnel, they passing downward at thesame time, so as to prevent puncturing of soft parts in withdrawing.When the womb is desired to be raised higher, the funnel is screwed intohigher position on the tube. The supporter is made of various sizes forwomen of different sizes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent In combination with the slotted tube 0, the wings Ehinged thereto, the screw-stem B, the arms or links I), pivoted to theupper end of the latter, and the adjusting-nut D, all constructed andarranged as shown and described.

JONATHAN P. BARNETT, M. D.

Witnesses BoBT. BROWN, ELIAS KEAGH.

